Taurus New Moon

Astrological news this week: Pluto retrograde and eclipse season begins!

Astrological update for the week of April 25 – May 2, 2022

art by John Craig

Pluto turns retrograde. I’ve been talking for a while about the Pluto station because Pluto hasn’t moved much in months – it’s only traveled one degree since the end of February and won’t travel more than one degree until early July.  That is a long time if you have planets between 25 and 29 Capricorn or the other cardinal signs Cancer, Libra Aries.  And if you have planets between 0 and 2 degrees of Aquarius or the other fixed signs (Leo, Taurus, Scorpio) you’ll feel some effect too. (Some astrologers use 10 degree orbs or more – I tend to use tight orbs as that seems to work in a more practical setting, like real life.)

We have had quite a few months with no planets retrograde, and with Pluto changing direction we have just one retrograde planet. The next retrograde will be Mercury turning retrograde on May 10, but in the meantime the focus is on Pluto and drilling down to the absolute Truth. Self-deception might have been the name of the game over the past few weeks with Jupiter and Neptune slamming together in a dance of bliss and psychic harmony, and we now have Mars and Venus joining them in Pisces (see the information about the eclipse below).

When Pluto is in charge, we are under the guidance of fate. Anyone with tight aspects from Pluto to their natal chart knows this, and eventually we learn that when fate is in charge we are guided towards our highest destiny if we can only let go.

A note about the Pisces stellium.  The blurring of details is a feature […]

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By |2022-04-25T13:33:14-04:00April 25th, 2022|Planetary news this week|0 Comments
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5.11.21 – Taurus New Moon, and a little bit of OUCH with Mars square Chiron

art by Patricia Ariel

The exact alignment of the Sun and Moon in Taurus (see yesterday’s post if you missed it) culminates this afternoon at 3 pm EDT/7 pm GMT with a burst of energy for a new beginning.  The solilunar cycle takes us through all twelve zodiacal experiences, beginning with each New Moon.  Today we begin the Taurean adventure into a grounded connection with the Earth and all of the pleasures offered here.  Delicious foods, tactile enjoyment of hugs and fine fabrics, a sense of comfort and security are the gifts of Taurus and today begins a new cycle in which we seek to incorporate these joys into our own lives.

There is a bit of a rough start though, with Mars in Cancer squaring Chiron in Aries.  There is a bit of a double whammy here, because Chiron in Aries is ruled by Mars, and here they are squaring off for battle.  Mars is our independent streak, the part of us which craves excitement and action and is willing to fight for what matters to us.  Mars is in Cancer now, where the aggressive energies are dampened by the watery feelings of Cancer – it becomes more difficult to face hard situations directly and there is more of a passive aggressive way of handling problems.  With Mars squaring Chiron for a day or two everyone’s feelings are more easily hurt; old wounds are easily triggered and a harsh word can cut more deeply.

If we approach this with consciousness and compassion, we can find ourselves releasing an old feeling or pattern which has lingered for years, helping us to clean the slate and make a new start under the New Moon.

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By |2021-05-11T07:54:39-04:00May 11th, 2021|Planetary news this week|2 Comments
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The Power of the Taurus New Moon, May 11 2021

Taurus is one of the fixed signs that require a great deal of control, but also are quite powerful in their stability and ability to endure and persevere.  Two weeks ago the Scorpio Full Moon pitted the power of Scorpio’s emotional intensity against the pure physical endurance of Taurus, and now with the Taurus New Moon we are able to settle completely into the depth of the Taurus experience, seeking comfort and pleasure in the simple things and the finer things of life.

At the New Moon, the solar conscious principle fuses with the lunar instincts to motivate a new beginning – a new lunar cycle, and a cycle of new energies and teachings. This New Moon forms a trine to Pluto, the planet of creative destruction with the power for irrevocable change.  In the trine aspect, Pluto’s energies for regeneration soften somewhat and it becomes easier to let go where needed in order to more deeply find that center of Earthly experience governed by Taurus.

The challenging square from Saturn to Uranus which is the story of 2021 is embedded in this New Moon chart, suggesting that a more radical departure (Uranus) from the cornerstones of stability that we’ve created (Saturn) may need to be considered.  Mars, planet of fire and action, is in Cancer right now where its fire is dampened and there is a dearth of fire in the planetary energies.  This can make it more difficult to take the steps required, and a square from Mars to Chiron may bring up difficult and uncomfortable emotions that may be blocking us from following our true path.

Under the wisdom of the Taurus New Moon, however, patience is required.  There is no need for frustration at any limitations – […]

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By |2021-05-11T07:54:16-04:00May 10th, 2021|Moon, Planetary news this week|0 Comments
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The Taurus New Moon April 22, 2020 offers a hint of what’s to come next year

The New Moon in Taurus arrives on April 22 at 22:25 Eastern time, and early in the morning April 23rd in Europe. Moon in Taurus is an opportunity to find your grounding space, to connect with the earth and the pleasures that are available to humans in a physical body.  In the midst of the stress of our current times, the Taurus New Moon can offer a welcome respite to the worry and anxiety that we find all around us.  New Moons are usually excellent times to begin new projects; in Taurus these new projects will want to satisfy the Taurean longing for beauty in life as well as in possessions and property. The Taurus New Moon centers our focus on abundance and prosperity – fertility and fecundity are emphasized now.  Fortunately, Taurus instills a desire to bloom where we are planted which is helpful since we can’t go anywhere right now!

The New Moon chart includes a conjunction of both the Sun and Moon to Uranus, the transformational outer planet which inspires us to break out of our ruts and routines and create innovation and independence from the past.  The peaceful solidity of Taurus isn’t that comfortable with the electrical insistence on Uranus for a radical change that turns our lives upside down, so this could be a bit problematic as we learn how to find comfort in stillness (Taurus) while facing the need for a radical shift in our lives (Uranus).  Making this more difficult is a challenging square from Saturn, planet of restriction and planning.  Uranus is sending out a call for a radical change, but Saturn is tying us up in lockdown and requiring that we build new structures before we explode […]

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By |2020-04-21T19:09:33-04:00April 21st, 2020|Moon|5 Comments
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The Taurus New Moon: Settling into the peace space

The New Moon on May 4th is in the sign of Taurus.  The symbol for Taurus is the bull – wise, placid but powerful, stable, slow to anger, the bull is a majestic symbol of peacefulness in the heart of strength.  Like the bull, under the influence of Taurus we seek experiences which will help us to find that sense of equanimity and comfort.  We nestle into cozy spaces and hunger for pleasure that will be truly satisfying.  No frankenfood will do under the Taurean influence, we must have fine wines and the best dark chocolates, food with pleasing colors and textures.  We wrap ourselves in natural fabrics and enjoy the scents of flowers.

The New Moon is, of course, the beginning of a new lunar cycle.  Over the past few months we’ve had a confusing retrograde period of Mercury, and an intense breakdown period of Saturn and Pluto which is just beginning to wane.   With the Taurus New Moon, we are finally able to connect more completely with the physical – settle into our bodies, walk barefoot on the earth, hug a tree, sit quietly and just experience the very fact that we are alive.

Not all of the planets are supportive of the slowing down and smelling the roses – we still have the mutual reception of Mercury in Aries, ruled by Mars, and Mars in Gemini, ruled by Mercury – firing up the engines of the brain and making it difficult to relax.  We still have a potentially challenging aspect (a T-square) involving Mercury (mind), Mars (action) and Jupiter (expansion) that demands action (Mars/Jupiter) yet blurs our sight to the point where we are unable to see clearly (Neptune).   But none of that matters right now […]

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